Brandon
Silveria, a National Speaker, Shares Message
of Consequences of Underage Drinking and
Driving with West Windsor-Plainsboro Students
as They Prepare for Proms and Graduations

Trenton
– Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
and Division
of Alcoholic Beverage Control
(ABC) Director Jerry Fischer joined national
speaker Brandon Silveria today as he spoke
to high school students in the West Windsor-Plainsboro
Regional School District about his first-hand
experience with the consequences of underage
drinking and driving.

Through a program developed by The Century
Council, a not-for-profit organization
funded by America’s leading distillers
that is committed to fighting underage
drinking, Brandon Silveria and his father,
Tony, visit high schools across the country,
free of charge, providing a special one-hour
assembly program that describes Silveria’s
involvement in a near-fatal car crash
after drinking beer at a high school party
shortly before his prom.

As a result of the crash, Silveria, then
a student at Los Gatos High School in
California, spent nearly three months
in a coma and another three years in rehabilitation.
Featured on the television show “Rescue
911," his story is also told on a
videotape that is available from The Century
Council to high school students nationwide.

“We
must keep delivering this message to young
people about the terrible risks of underage
drinking,” said Attorney General
Peter C. Harvey. “We hope that Brandon’s
program, which graphically shares the
very real and dangerous consequences of
underage drinking and driving, will help
prevent a tragedy during this prom and
graduation season. Our goal is to save
young people from serious bodily injury
and death.”

Division of ABC Director Fischer explained
that the ABC is dedicated to providing
both enforcement and education initiatives
that will help the State in its ongoing
efforts to combat underage drinking.

“Many
young people today believe that they are
invincible, and that they will not suffer
any harm from underage drinking and driving,”
Fischer said. “Through Brandon’s
story, they can see that this simply is
not true, and that there is a very high
price to pay for using alcohol under the
legal age. This program today should give
young people pause if they are thinking
about attempting to use alcohol during
the upcoming prom and graduation season.”

Silveria attended assemblies at West Windsor-Plainsboro
High School South (a.m. assembly) and
High School North (p.m. assembly), delivering
his message to a total of nearly 1,000
students before their own prom and graduation
ceremonies in the coming weeks.